


The fox and the hunter

by VanillaKiss



Category: BTOB
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, M/M, Witch Curses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-10-30 12:33:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17828642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VanillaKiss/pseuds/VanillaKiss
Summary: “What can I do for you, Majesty?” he asked.“There is a fox in the forest. I want you to kill it.”





	The fox and the hunter

**Author's Note:**

> for day6 of iljaeweekfebruary19

Once upon a time, there was a young hunter. His name was Jung Ilhoon and he was the best hunter in the whole land. He lived in a small village outside of the castle.

One day, the Queen herself visited him in his small house near the forest. The King had died a few months ago and his only son, the Prince disappeared before his coronation. Now the Queen, the Prince’s stepmother ruled the land. 

Ilhoon was surprised when he opened the door and saw her. “What can I do for you, Majesty?” he asked. 

“There is a fox in the forest. I want you to kill it.” She said with a kind smile. But the hunter knew that her smile was fake. 

“Majesty, there are many foxes in the forest. But you talk about one certain fox, am I right?” 

“Yes. I only want that fox. Kill it and bury it deep in the forest” she said with a savage light in her dark eyes. 

“How will I know which fox is that?”

“Believe me, you’ll know. It’s special. You’ll feel it if you found it.”

Three days later, he went into the forest with his bow and arrow. He'd wandered for three days and three nights and he was about to give up when suddenly, he noticed a small red animal watching him next to a big tree.

“Hi, little fox.” The hunter stepped closer, slowly. “Don’t run away, little fox.”

And to his greatest surprise, the fox started talking. “I’m not little. You’re the little one here.”

“WHAT? YOU CAN TALK!?” The hunter jumped back. It was that fox he had to find.

“Yes?” The fox stretched out his paws. “Come closer. I won’t bite.”

“But-” Ilhoon gulped but walked to the small animal.

“What?”

“You’re not an ordinary fox, right?” He knelt down. 

“No, I-” He looked away. “I can’t talk about it.”

“Why? Is it a curse?” The fox looked at Ilhoon but didn’t say anything. “Hey” He reached out his hand. “Can I touch you?”

“I’m not a pet.”

“I know, but you’re beautiful. And your fur looks so fluffy. Please?”

The fox huffed. “Okay. And when will you kill me?”

“Huh?” Ilhoon pulled away. “What do you mean?”

“You aren’t the first hunter who wanted to kill me.” There was a sad but somehow relieved look in his eyes. “But you’ll be the last.”

“What? Why?” Ilhoon felt terrible. He shouldn't have gotten closer to the fox. Even if it was only a few words, it made things more difficult now. He knew that this fox must have been cursed. He wasn’t an ordinary fox. He was probably a human before. But why did the Queen want to kill it?

“I’m tired,” said the fox. “And I've already chosen you. I was waiting for you.”

“Do you know me?” He was confused. Have they met before?

“Yes, I do. You’re the best hunter in this land.” 

“I don’t think I’m the best.” He sat down next to the fox and started petting its head. 

“You are.” The fox climbed into his lap. “Say, can we do it tomorrow?”

“Why tomorrow?” Ilhoon asked curiously. “If there is someone you’d like to bid farewell to, then go. If you won’t escape and come back, then go. It’ll be your last chance, anyway.” Ilhoon sighed. “Go, I don’t care if you’ll escape.”

“But if you don’t kill me, the Queen will kill you.” The fox sounded as if he was afraid. “I won’t go anywhere. Just let me rest a little in your lap.

Ilhoon didn’t say anything. He knew that if the fox stayed with him, he wouldn't be able to kill him. Maybe it was its plan.

No. The fox was honest. Ilhoon could feel it.

“I had a friend.” The fox said as it closed its eyes. “We were really good friends.”

“And what happened?” 

“We couldn’t be friends. We were too different.”

Ilhoon leaned his head against the tree. “I also had a friend like that. He was the Prince, you know? So we couldn’t be friends. It was against his father's, the King’s will.”

They didn’t talk after that. Ilhoon looked up at the sky. It’d been so long since he last met the Prince. Sungjae was his best friend. They first met when he ran away from the castle. He was 12 and Ilhoon was 13. The King hasn’t discovered it until one day, five years later, more exactly, one of the maids noticed the Prince climbing on the wall that surrounded the castle. That was the last time they met. 

Sometimes, he still missed him. Not just sometimes. Many times. It had happened three years ago. And now, the Prince had disappeared. After the Queen announced it, he was hoping that the Prince would go to him. But it’d been months and the Prince never tried to find him. As he was sitting there with the fox in his lap, he fell asleep.

The fox raised its head and looked at the hunter. “Sleep well, Ilhoon!” he whispered. 

After a few hours, Ilhoon finally woke up. Even with his closed eyes, he could still feel the weight and warmth in his lap. The fox stayed with him. He sighed and opened his eyes to look at the animal.

But it wasn’t the fox who was sleeping in his lap. It was a boy. Not just a boy. Ilhoon knew him. It was his friend. Sungjae. 

“Hey, Sungjae” He poked his cheeks. The Prince opened his eyes, a little unfocused. 

“What’s wrong?” He sat down. “Wait, I-”

“You were the fox, right?” Ilhoon was still in shock. “She… The Queen did it, right?”

Sungjae nodded. “She is a witch. She cursed me and the curse said that only my friend can save me. She wasn’t my father’s wife when we were friends so she didn’t know about you.” Sungjae explained. “I wanted to go to your house and ask for help but the other hunters chased me here and I couldn’t find my way back to the village. But now you’re here. You still remember me. You still see me as your friend. You saved me, Ilhoon.”

“I missed you.” Ilhoon said quietly. 

“I missed you too.” Sungjae hugged him. 

“Let’s go back, Sungjae. You’re the King! Claim your land!”

“I will. But only if you’ll stay by my side.”

“I will. I promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> twitter: 6vanillakiss


End file.
